EAST RUTHERFORD — There was perhaps only one positive to take away from the Jets’ divisional matchup against the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon. Fans won’t have to suffer through any more home games. The finale on the 2025 slate at MetLife Stadium produced an all-time unwatchable, un competitive blowout; Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel pulled MVP candidate Drake Maye after the first drive of the third quarter, with his franchise quarterback having already thrown five touchdowns to help his team to a 42-10 rout of Gang Green. “Highly, highly disappointed in the way that we came out,” said Jets head coach Aaron Glenn. “To allow this team to score on I think the first six drives was not good…today was probably the one time I feel like our effort was not as good as we want it to be.” Safe to say, the vibes were not the same on the other side of the post-game press conferences. “They don’t give me a (MVP) vote, but there’s nobody else that we want as our quarterback or that I want as our quarterback,” Vrabel said. In a season they were never truly in, having lost their first seven contests and now 3-13 in the standings, they were somehow completely embarrassed more emphatically than at any point this season on both sides of the ball by a franchise that found themselves on similar footing just last year. A 4-13 season in 2024, their second straight, left little hope for New England; however, their rebuild after the days of Tom Brady is seemingly complete this year with the emergence of their second-year signal caller Maye, who has taken significant strides in his development after being taken second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and subsequently struggling through his rookie campaign. With some patience, they got the quarterback position right.  What’s the secret?  Maye, who became just the third player in franchise history to throw for 4,000-plus yards alongside Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady, was asked if there was something in his development that’s clicked and allowed him to unlock his potential after suffering through an at-times dismal first year. “I wouldn’t say it’s clicked, it’s just trying to prepare and prepare the same every week,” Maye said. “Not change that part of it. The guys around me have been the biggest reasons, and Coach McDaniels, just taking coaching. Taking coaching from Coach Vrabel and everybody that kind of wants the best for me; whether it’s hard coaching or not, just trying to do what’s best for me and trust in them, go out there and have some fun.” On the other sideline, they’re still looking, as undrafted free agent Brady Cook appears to be the latest in a very long line of Jets who’ve lined up under center since Mark Sanchez left and haven’t been the answer. Not Geno Smith. Not Sam Darnold. Not Zach Wilson. And certainly not whatever the thought was in bringing Justin Fields in on a multi-year contract. New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) passes against the New York Jets during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) For the Patriots, who got it right, a modest three-year playoff drought will end in January. For the Jets, who still haven’t, an unthinkable, league-worst stretch of 15 years without so much as a postseason snap seems destined to just keep going, as they watched what essentially serves as a model for how to rebuild on the fly stomp them for all four quarters in a game that felt meaningless from the coin toss. Maye found Austin Hooper open for a two-yard touchdown pass to cap off a seven-play, 61-yard game-opening drive to give New England a lead that at no point were they ever in jeopardy of losing.  That advantage doubled on a Rhamondre Stevenson one-yard TD run within the first ten minutes of the first half, and just kept growing from there. Stevenson, Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry each hauled in touchdown passes before halftime, with only a Nick Folk field goal keeping from being a complete shutout through 30 minutes. Up 35-3 at the half, Maye returned for the first drive of the third quarter and once again led his team down the field with ease, connecting with Efton Chism III on a ten-yard touchdown pass and make it a 42-3 game; before finally being pulled in favor of backup Joshua Dobbs, Maye completed his first 11 passes and finished having gone 19-for-21 for 256 yards, the whopping five TD’s and no turnovers against a Jets defense that showed little resistance throughout a chilly afternoon. Breece Hall’s 59-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter, with his team down 39 points at the time, provided a lone highlight and made the final score slightly more respectable once the final whistle mercifully blew. New England Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins (21) celebrates an interception against the New York Jets during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) ...read more read less